Thursday, 27 April 2017

The Robin - Turdus migratorius

The Robin Turdus migratorius

There is nothing bashful about the Robin with their loud red breasts, loud melodic singing voices and bold opportunistic habit of following us around to cash
in on the insects
and worms we expose as we walk through patches of rotting leaves or dig our gardens with our spades, they can become extremely tame and
some will feed from the hand.In medieval times it was popular to give
birds human names as in Jack Daw and Jenny Wren.Robin
was originally a diminutive of Robert, but Chaucer called them "Tame
Rudducks" which is perhaps an older name. Other common names include
Bob Robin, Bobbies, Ploughman's Bird, Robinet and Robin Ruck.

There are many stories about how the Robin got a red breast; one
is that it was scorched whilst fetching water for the souls of purgatory which is why the Welsh call Robins Brou-rhuddyn (Burnt Breast). Another legend has it that the Robin’s breast became
stained red with blood of Christ whilst it sang to ease his pain on the cross, but this is not
the reason why the bird occurs on our Christmas cards.The
birds traditional place on Christmas cards started in Victorian times when
there was a tradition that the postman would deliver your Christmas
cards on Christmas day. The postmen wore red jackets and were nicknamed
Robin Redbreasts.

About Me

In the 1970s I attended day classes in sculpture and drawing and realised I was
not very talented. In particular I had very poor conception of space. I
have been serious about improving my drawing for all of my adult life.

I have used unusual methods to overcome my weaknesses. One is to
always draw from moving figures, only rarely do I work from static
models. In the 1970 - 80s I spent many thousands of hours drawing dancers
rehearsing, the results were mostly bad drawings, but they were always moving
forward. This experience has been the bedrock on which I built my drawing technique

Since 1999 I have lived in Pembrokeshire. I still draw my wife, who is a
ballet dancer, when she rehearses. I also draw faces on television for
several hours every night. I love most to draw from life.

The other method to improve my drawing has been to learn about the mind. I read books about
neuroscience and the brain. This knowledge is really helpful to my
drawing, and enabled me to understand what I am trying to do. I am a slow
reader and read books only on this subject. (It is not that I dislike
novels or newspapers, it is that I do not have the time).

In my opinion drawing and Art generally, is about the sharing of spirit.
This concept of sharing is central to art, and central to humanity. My
view is that art is all around us, being done by everyone and can never be
owned. So if you like my drawings you are free to download and use
them. It is also why I do not sell or sign my drawings, because to my way
of thinking this would deface their purpose.